The History and Legacy of the Bulgari Serpenti Collection

Redefining sensuality in watchmaking, the iconic Bulgari Serpenti collection continues to hit the high notes with timeless designs that have made it the paragon of ladies’ watches and the darling of Hollywood’s brightest stars.

The serpent has long been a source of inspiration for Bulgari’s Serpenti collection renowned for its sensual proportions and sinuous aesthetics. In over 75 years of its influential presence in jewellery and watch making, the Serpenti collection has tempted the desires of legendary actresses and style mavens. Many have been photographed countless times wearing the alluring creations seemingly coiled around their wrists, enveloped their fingers or dangled from their necks. The Serpenti collection has engendered memorable moments on the silver screen as well as the red carpet. Hollywood’s continuous endorsements have contributed to the collection’s envious stature as statement accessories for whom the spotlight is deserving. Thanks to its extraordinary design and craftsmanship, its reputation has only grown with time.

The History and Legacy of the Bulgari Serpenti Collection

Founded in Rome, Italy in 1884 by the gifted Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari, the Maison is respected for its unwavering commitment to excellence. It embraces audacious designs and eclectic materials. The innovative spirit ingrained in its identity as a jeweller and a watchmaker is well documented in its history. From the transition of making silver ornaments to high jewellery, and to incorporating design influences from a myriad of sources and cultures, Bulgari remains delightfully relevant as it is fashionable in decades past and present. As a prolific watchmaker, Bulgari holds numerous world records for the thinnest timepieces and movements across a variety of categories. It is this penchant for daring that gave rise to the Serpenti collection.

Portrayed variedly, the symbolism of the serpent has made an indelible mark in allegorical fables and ancient civilisations. In the biblical context, the creature carries a moralistic value. The serpent is to be revered and feared. In Chinese culture, it is one of a dozen animals composing the Chinese zodiac where it is known for its wisdom, intuition and creativity. Stylised upright like a cobra, the Uraeus in Egyptian hieroglyphs, represents sovereignty, divinity and royalty. The rulers of ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs who commanded absolute power, wore serpentine crowns and headdresses. Elsewhere, Greek mythology described Asclepius as a demigod wielding a serpent-entwined rod, which has been adapted into a modern symbol for medicine and healthcare. During the heights of the Roman empire, the serpent morphed into symbolising eternal love and fertility. It traverses nature, mythology and the arts, and similarly inspired Bulgari.

The Origins of the Serpenti Collection

Born a bracelet-watch resembling the contemporary Tubogas collection that we are familiar with today, the Serpenti creation debuted in 1948. Thanks to a clever assembling technique that allowed long bands of gold to be wrapped around a core while concealing the inner structure without soldering, the jewellery-watch bore a lithe gold bracelet that enabled the watch to effortlessly curl around the wrist. The geometric sequence, heightened by a symmetrical case akin to a snake’s head and a banded bracelet resembling the elongated body, was a nod to the en vogue Art Deco. The watch also broke the mould at the time with the unapologetic use of gold when austerity prevailed in the post-war era.

The choosing of the serpent to carve a bold, new direction for Bulgari was a judicious move; one made in homage to its own Roman heritage. The Romans were regarded as skilled artificers and admirers of gold. Ornaments like gold rings and bracelets, often worn in pairs on the wrist or arms, were among popular jewellery articulated in a serpentine form to wish for prosperity and fertility. Indeed the novelties elevated the prestige of Bulgari, who was emboldened to broaden the Serpenti collection from a bracelet-watch to jewellery pieces such as rings, bracelets and necklaces, each exuding Bulgari’s signature elegance and ingenuity.

One could even argue that the Serpenti collection blending hallmarks of jewellery and watch making harks back to the provenance of wristwatches. It is commonly thought that wristwatches were invented to satisfy the needs of noble women to read the time effortlessly while remaining graceful in social settings. With an emphasis placed on elaborate design, the earliest wristwatches were both ornamental and functional.

The Evolution of the Serpenti Collection

Central to the Serpenti Collection is the multi-pronged approach that culminates in either the watches’ or the jewellery pieces’ serpentine resemblance. The Tubogas technique, in particular, drew inspiration from the corrugated tubes used in the industrial era. The conflation of the bracelet’s flexibility and the industrial age’s exactness created a dichotomous harmony. Skilled craftsmen required years of practice to perfect the Tubogas technique as the tension arising in the individual bands would have to be even. The Tubogas bracelet has to remain strong as it is flexible, elegant as it is comfortable. This uncompromising approach is a reflection of Bulgari’s dedication to excellence.

As the clouds of gloom of World War II began to lift, women gradually re-embraced social life. The Serpenti collection’s rich catalogue of watches and jewellery was a standout. Aesthetics-wise, the collection took on greater realism where the watch case mirrored the triangular snake head, while faceted precious gemstones were appropriated for the eyes. The discreet dial was transported into the hinged jaw of the serpent, becoming a “secret” watch that might have been easily mistaken for a jewellery piece. The watch’s tiny movement was carefully positioned within the skull. Later on, showcasing superb artisanship, the Serpenti collection also adopted snake-like scales and introduced enamelled finishing.

When the 1960s arrived, the filming of Cleopatra in Rome and the celebrity surrounding thespian Elizabeth Taylor propelled Bulgari to the top of Hollywood publicity. The zeitgeist of the booming decade, famous for her love of jewellery, was photographed on set wearing a gem-set Serpenti “secret” watch. Her passion for jewellery, the frenzy over her love life at the time and the incessant speculation over the origin of her Serpenti watch significantly boosted Bulgari’s profile worldwide. Cleopatra, the Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, was believed to have died from a snake bite. It was befitting that Taylor would wear no other watches.

Serpenti Today: A Timeless Icon

While it was clear that Taylor was smitten with Bulgari – the secret watch she wore resembles the present-day Serpenti Misteriosi most – for the Serpenti collection, the lines between jewellery and watches have always been fine with novelties featuring intricate jewellery- and watch-making techniques. Once amassing one of the world’s most valuable private jewellery collections, the actress might have penned the prologue of Hollywood’s enduring romance with Bulgari. In the ensuing years since Cleopatra, Bulgari’s exemplary creations have become mainstays on red carpets. The Maison counts The Devil Wears Prada star Anna Hathaway, TIME magazine’s one of 100 most influential people Zendaya, and celebrated Chinese thespian Liu Yifei as among its Global Brand Ambassadors. More recently, Asia’s own style icon Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Blackpink sensation LISA and Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh adorned the Serpenti collection at major award ceremonies.

In Asian folktale, the serpent is said to possess a shape-shifting ability, and like the family of snakes that come in various species, the Serpenti watches have undergone an evolution of styles and shapes over the years. It is Bulgari’s ultimate representation of metamorphosis, melding beauty, audacity, innovation and constant evolution with a legacy spanning more than three-quarters of a century.

Today, the Serpenti watches are largely categorised into Tubogas, Seduttori (first introduced in 2019) and Spiga (debuted in 2016), as well as everyday luxury and high jewellery-watches such as the Misteriosi. Where mechanism is concerned, the watches are presented in Swiss Made quartz movements and in-house mechanical movements.

Coiling around the wrist, the Serpenti Tubogas watch is fitted with the legendary Tubogas bracelet. The flexibility of the bracelet is a consonance of industrial design and ingenious craftsmanship, created to reminisce the sinuous body of a snake. Models are offered in a selection of shades and materials, such as mother-of-pearl, tiger’s eye, green aventurine, white-silvery opaline, black lacquer, black DLC treatment, guilloché soleil treatment, stainless steel, 18K yellow gold, 18K white gold, 18K rose gold, pink rubellites and diamonds.

The Serpenti Seduttori watch boasts the soul of a jewel. Combining a supple bracelet, impregnated with intricate hexagonal elements inspired by the scales of a serpent, with a drop-shaped case evocative of the head of the mythical animal, the elegant and light watch seemingly glides on the wrist. References are articulated in a spectrum of shades and materials, such as malachite, white-silvery opaline, black lacquer, black DLC treatment, stainless steel, 18K yellow gold, 18K white gold, 18K rose gold, pink rubellites and diamonds.

The Serpenti Spiga watch ties the contemporary with the legendary. It combines the audacity of Serpenti and the legend of Spiga, echoing the idea of infinity with its abstract wheat stalk pattern carved into the eye-catching bracelet. The collection is expressed through the use of diamonds and mixed materials such as the high jewellery edition and the ceramic-18K rose gold bi-material edition.

The Enduring Allure of Bulgari’s Serpenti Masterpieces

Whether it is accompanied with a bangle, or a two, three or five-fold bracelet, the evolving shape of the case, as watches or jewellery, gemstones set in a number of ways, and so on, the Serpenti collection continues to stun, captivate and enthral, as though the act of snake charming has been inverted.

While the serpent has proven to be a powerful motif for Bulgari to draw upon, the Maison has looked to its own savoir-faire in creating the latest masterpieces – the tactile Serpenti Misteriosi Pallini high jewellery-watches, arrayed with the exceptional en tremblant setting of the tiny gold beads and diamonds that “tremble” when there is movement.

Be it a watch lover or simply curious, you are welcome to discover Bulgari’s Serpenti collection at Cortina Watch. As one of the world’s leading luxury watch retailers, we possess an expansive selection of Serpenti watches to suit your preference. A date with a watchmaking icon rooted in symbolism and sophistication is a mere appointment away. Contact us today.

 

Discover more Bvlgari collections with Cortina Watch online, visit us at our boutiques, or contact a sales representative today to learn more.